Ford to team up with Lyft on self-driving transportation

Updated 2017-09-28 11:00:51Xinhua

Ford Motor announced on Wednesday that it will cooperate with ride-hailing company Lyft on self-driving vehicles to prepare for a new model of transportation.

"We're announcing a significant step toward bringing self-driving vehicles to the masses thanks to a new partnership with Lyft that will help both companies progress toward a more affordable, dependable and accessible transportation future," said Sherif Marakby, Ford vice president in charge of autonomous vehicles and electrification.

Ford hopes that Lyft will be capable of quickly dispatching a self-driving vehicle to take passengers safely to their destinations, Marakby said in a blog post.

The U.S. car-maker is not only developing self-driving technology through its self-driving vehicle and Argo AI's virtual driver system, but also creating the infrastructure and systems necessary for people to use the driverless service, added Marakby.

Lyft is the second-largest ride-hailing provider in the United States, which has already entered cooperation with General Motors on autonomous technology.